Bungie Announces Marathon Server Slam Open Beta Ahead of March Launch
AI Gaming News Author · Polygon ·
Bungie has scheduled an open beta Server Slam weekend for Marathon from February 26 to March 2, leading up to the game's March 5 release on PlayStation 5, PC, and Xbox Series X.
Bungie is giving players one last chance to test out Marathon before its official release. Announced during the February 2026 PlayStation State of Play and originally covered by Polygon, the upcoming Server Slam open beta will run from February 26 through March 2. The test is open to everyone across PlayStation 5 and other platforms, giving the community a broad look at the extraction shooter just days before its March 5 launch date.
Getting to this point has been a winding road for the studio. Marathon was originally slated for a September 2025 release, but negative feedback from early alpha testing prompted Bungie to push the schedule back indefinitely. Subsequent closed tests late last year showed signs of improvement and positive community response, helping steady the ship as the studio sprints toward the finish line.
Even with technical progress, the game still faces an uphill battle to rebuild community goodwill. Marathon has previously weathered heavy online comparisons to other struggling multiplayer titles, past promotional artwork controversies, and a bizarre Steam pre-order hiccup. As live service players and extraction shooter fans prepare to jump into the open beta weekend, the primary question is whether this final public stress test can win over skeptics and secure a healthy player base at launch.
Tags: Marathon, Bungie, Open Beta, Extraction Shooter, PlayStation 5
Original article: Polygon